I sat in a chair at the back of a classroom while students prepared posters about the kinetic molecular theory and the physical states of matter in general, presented the posters, and had a discussion/filled out some questions regarding the presentations/reading. The first thing I noticed was that when students were working on their posters the majority of them were on task. Some students had phones "hidden" on the desk and others were sneaking snacks as they worked, but the overall mood in the room was very productive. This mood carried over to the beginning of presentations. Students were quiet, paid attention to the presenter, and provided minimal distractions (again in the form of cell phone use and food.) About half-way through the presentations, the class dynamic shifted dramatically. It was at this point that many of the students who had already presented started to get noisy/fidgety/distracted. The respectful listening turned into a dull murmur,which progressed to a distracting level as more and more students disengaged following their presentations.
The second portion of the class gave me an opportunity to watch a lot of work habits. The students started working individually or in small groups. Two things became immediately apparent, the students who worked alone or in groups of three or less were more productive at the beginning, and the small groups of students separated by a greater distance were more efficient. There was one group of seven that clustered around the head of the pushed together lab benches and their conversation shifted quickly from chemistry and the way atomic interactions give rise to the different states of matter to how one of them should start a text conversation with a girl he had a crush on. The conversation devolved often and the group was by far the most off task group in the class. During this time, the smaller groups continued to be distracted now and then with cell phones, selfies, food, and coloring in the wooden portions of their pencils with sharpies. Despite these distractions, the general feeling from these groups was one of productivity, as pages were being turned and the conversations were decidedly science related.
During the presentations, my CT observed from a position near the front and to the side of the classroom. She would give verbal reminders to be respectful and, despite the increased volume, the students followed this request fairly well. When the students transitioned to seat work, my CT circulated and made herself available. She spent a lot more time with the smaller groups, a fact that probably had to do with the number of times these students raised their hands, but made sure to get over to the large group to ask guiding, on task questions. When my teacher had free time, she would stand near the larger group and randomly ask one of them a science question. Her presence, and he consistent questioning, was the primary reason anything ended up being accomplished (aside from a group consensus that saying, "good luck at soccer" was not the best first text to a crush because it would be awkward if he/she only had practice and not a game. This certainly was a contentious decision but ultimately the majority of people agreed that there were better ways.)
My classroom map is above. The large group is off the the left. The black movable lab benches are pushed together to form a long island. I sat on a stool off to the side of a permanent lab bench. The teacher (lime green T) started off to the side of the desk and the bath is to indicate a regular motion along the horseshoe. There were a few periods where she spent a good amount of time with the larger group but she really went around the room regularly.
There were a lot of things my teacher did that I like. She provided a number of ways to interact with the material to help a diverse group of learners. She used peer grouping to increased student engagement and involvement, while letting students help each other learn the material. he guiding questions are typically very helpful and it is great to watch her give just enough of a breadcrumb trail for students to make their own connections. She rarely makes statements and often asks questions to force students to examine what they have already said.
One thing I found to not be effective was allowing the large group of 7 students to "work" together. I prefer small clusters of desks where students are grouped naturally into more manageable sizes.The single solid block of desks is not my favorite design as it makes it difficult to access certain areas from others. I think having smaller clusters of desks with passable isles is more effective for giving feedback and support. I think that proximity is a double edged sword when it comes to productivity and managing student behavior. I think that when students are off task, walking by and asking on topic questions to refocus their attention is beneficial. I do, however, think that it is possible to be a distraction and many students will act out because you are nearby and it is a great way to get some attention and maybe get help answering a question.
The second portion of the class gave me an opportunity to watch a lot of work habits. The students started working individually or in small groups. Two things became immediately apparent, the students who worked alone or in groups of three or less were more productive at the beginning, and the small groups of students separated by a greater distance were more efficient. There was one group of seven that clustered around the head of the pushed together lab benches and their conversation shifted quickly from chemistry and the way atomic interactions give rise to the different states of matter to how one of them should start a text conversation with a girl he had a crush on. The conversation devolved often and the group was by far the most off task group in the class. During this time, the smaller groups continued to be distracted now and then with cell phones, selfies, food, and coloring in the wooden portions of their pencils with sharpies. Despite these distractions, the general feeling from these groups was one of productivity, as pages were being turned and the conversations were decidedly science related.
During the presentations, my CT observed from a position near the front and to the side of the classroom. She would give verbal reminders to be respectful and, despite the increased volume, the students followed this request fairly well. When the students transitioned to seat work, my CT circulated and made herself available. She spent a lot more time with the smaller groups, a fact that probably had to do with the number of times these students raised their hands, but made sure to get over to the large group to ask guiding, on task questions. When my teacher had free time, she would stand near the larger group and randomly ask one of them a science question. Her presence, and he consistent questioning, was the primary reason anything ended up being accomplished (aside from a group consensus that saying, "good luck at soccer" was not the best first text to a crush because it would be awkward if he/she only had practice and not a game. This certainly was a contentious decision but ultimately the majority of people agreed that there were better ways.)
My classroom map is above. The large group is off the the left. The black movable lab benches are pushed together to form a long island. I sat on a stool off to the side of a permanent lab bench. The teacher (lime green T) started off to the side of the desk and the bath is to indicate a regular motion along the horseshoe. There were a few periods where she spent a good amount of time with the larger group but she really went around the room regularly.
There were a lot of things my teacher did that I like. She provided a number of ways to interact with the material to help a diverse group of learners. She used peer grouping to increased student engagement and involvement, while letting students help each other learn the material. he guiding questions are typically very helpful and it is great to watch her give just enough of a breadcrumb trail for students to make their own connections. She rarely makes statements and often asks questions to force students to examine what they have already said.
One thing I found to not be effective was allowing the large group of 7 students to "work" together. I prefer small clusters of desks where students are grouped naturally into more manageable sizes.The single solid block of desks is not my favorite design as it makes it difficult to access certain areas from others. I think having smaller clusters of desks with passable isles is more effective for giving feedback and support. I think that proximity is a double edged sword when it comes to productivity and managing student behavior. I think that when students are off task, walking by and asking on topic questions to refocus their attention is beneficial. I do, however, think that it is possible to be a distraction and many students will act out because you are nearby and it is a great way to get some attention and maybe get help answering a question.